Get Social

GEICO’s Top Tips to Help Prepare for Hailstorms

Business Wire

WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- To help protect your family and your property, GEICO offers several safety reminders about hail, but first some fascinating facts about hailstones.

Because not all hail is created equal, hailstones can fall in a small non-threating quarter inch pea-sized piece of ice or up to the largest hailstone on record, which measured eight inches in diameter and fell in South Dakota on July 23, 2010. Just a little smaller than a volleyball, it could cave in a car’s roof.

A hailstone the size of a baseball falls at a speed comparable to a baseball thrown by a major league pitcher − nearly 100 mph, according to the National Severe Storms Laboratory. It’s no surprise that hail and the wind that pushes it can cause millions of dollars of damage to property.

Of the 6,045 hailstorms reported by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in 2017, more than half, 3,316 occurred in three months, April, May and June. Here are some ways to prepare for a hailstorm.

Before the storm

Trim trees and remove dead branches, especially those close to windows and skylights.

Pick up debris and loose objects in the yard to minimize flying objects.

Listen to your local weather station; often forecasters can predict when hail could be a factor.

GEICO (Government Employees Insurance Company) is a member of the Berkshire Hathaway family of companies and is the second-largest private passenger auto insurance company in the United States. GEICO, which was founded in 1936, provides millions of auto insurance quotes to U.S. drivers annually. The company is pleased to serve more than 16 million private passenger customers, insuring more than 27 million vehicles (auto & cycle).